Comments on: Selling my phone on eBay. Third time lucky? Don’t be silly

By: mupwangle

mupwangle — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:43:39 +0000

Bastards have just invoiced my for £17 listing fees and there’s another £13 waiting. (It’s meant to be £7).

I’m never selling anything on ebay again.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:33:18 +0000

please note that I’m not that stupid.

They obviously thought you were lying about that bit.

By: mupwangle

mupwangle — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:07:38 +0000

This is despite the listing saying :

This is the 3rd listing for this item due to scammers. Unfortunately I need to take a few steps to save having to list this item *again*. I’m afraid I can only accept PayPal and deliver to a verified PayPal address. Please do not mail me asking to sell outwith the auction as I won’t as it means that eBay and PayPal protection doesn’t apply – this also protects you! If you are the planning to bid and are intending to ask me to send it to some random person in sodding Nigeria – please note that I’m not that stupid.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:27:53 +0000

It was, yeah.

On a happier note one of the bidders was a real, non-scamming person, so it looks like the phone is finally going to a new home. In Britain!

By: Tony Kiernan

Tony Kiernan — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:22:18 +0000

Tell me that was just cut and pasted. Please!

Anti-spam word: Spoon. Strangely my last big eBay disappointment involved one.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:15:15 +0000

The scammers from America are easier to spot: “Well hello there, my good chap, Lord Fawlty here, splendid day to be concluding an eBay transaction, what-what? God save the Queen, I always say! Anyway, I happen to have tootled States-side, so if you could send it care of my cousin Jeremiah, instead of to my estate in Peckham, I’d be awfully obliged. Tally-ho!”

By: mupwangle

mupwangle — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:01:37 +0000

Looks like the 2nd chance person has bought it. An actual real ISP email address which appears to match her name.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:17:43 +0000

It’s a combination of things, but the main reason is the almost complete lack of law enforcement in many countries – notably Nigeria, where not one single person was done for fraud between 1983 and 2003. Add in a low-wage economy, widespread corruption and the profitability of scamming and you’ve got a situation where crime really does pay.

That said, it’s changing in Nigeria at least. They’ve got a kind of fraud czar who’s doing major work to crack down on scammers – mainly 419 “I am the son of Prince whatever and I need your help to get $20 million out of the country” scams, but smaller ones too.

By: mupwangle

mupwangle — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:16:16 +0000

It’s a scam. They send you a fake paypal receipt and they end up with an expensive piece of electronics and you have nothing.

By: Ms Mac

Ms Mac — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:07:16 +0000

I’m completely naive when it comes to eBay. Can you explain why Africans seem to be obsessed with purchasing your phone?